What time could tell
by Whiteshark900
Summary: When Maggie found the strange man on the beach after the storm, she had no idea what kind of adventure awaited her. Set in the present day United States, preferably Maine, but we will get to Middle Earth. I promise!
1. Misty Musings

What Time Could Tell

Chapter 1: Misty Musings

What was she doing here? She walked a few steps further and stopped again. She knew the answer. It had been their place, hers and Dale's. Margaret Roosin, known to her friends and foes alike as Maggie, shook her head. She knew better than to come down here.

"Their place….." the thought went through her mind again. She shook off the gloom that followed and started off along the beach again. The sound of the crashing waves helped to alleviate the feeling of sadness that always seemed to follow her whenever she came to this particular stretch of the beach. Off in the distance thunder rumbled and lightning flashed.

"I've stayed out here too long!" she mentally scolded herself. She was a fisherman's daughter, and should be able to read the signs of the weather better. In her pocket her cell phone started to vibrate. She took it out, looked at the number, and flipped open the phone.

"Maggie?" a male voice said. "Where are you? There's a nasty storm brewing out your way!". She recognized the voice of Doctor Peters.

"I know Doc. I'm out on the beach now."

"The beach? Why are you there again Maggie?"

"I'm out getting a little exercise, like you told me too remember? Well if you don't then I do, that particular lecture went on for at least half an hour".

"You know that's not what I mean Maggie." said Doc exasperatedly.

"I know what you mean Doc. I'm heading home right now."

"Good girl. Take two aspirin and call me in the morning" he said cheerfully.

"GOOD-BYE Doc". She ended the call and slipped the phone back into her pocket. The thunder rumbled again and the lightning flashed, the storm was getting closer. She listened for the thunder again and counted the seconds between it and the next lightning flash. She still had time before the storm came upon her. All of a sudden there was a large flash and a earth shaking BOOM. The world around her went temporarily white as her eyes tried to adjust to the brightness.

She blinked several times as the world returned to normal. She could still see the storm clouds several miles out to sea. Where then had the light and noise come from. She didn't know and at that moment she didn't care . Maggie just knew she had to find shelter and quickly. She began to walk quickly down the beach since her running often caused people to wonder if she was having some sort of attack. As she walked along she thought she could hear the sound of something following her. She began to walk faster. Behind her she could hear whatever it was pick up its pace and emit a low growl. A dog? She didn't know of any dogs in this neighborhood and since she was the vet of her small town she would know. She had fought the urge to turn around, but could do so no more. When she heard the growl again she whirled around and saw it.

"IT" was all she could think. In shape and form it looked like a wolf on steroids, except its back was humped like a hyenas. Its eyes held her in its stare. But, instead of being filled with the wariness that most wild creatures had, it's eyes were filled with pure…. Hate. The thought startled her and she took several small steps backwards. The creature gave a snarl and started a weird shuffling run towards her. All of a sudden there was another large flash and BOOM. The thing…it… whatever was almost on top of her now. She turned and began to run away down the beach towards where she had left her car. Her foot caught on a piece of driftwood and she sprawled flat on the ground with a grunt. She whirled around and prepared herself for the attack. The creature was several feet from her and instead of running towards her it seemed to stand still. She saw a thin trickle of blood come out of the corner of it's mouth and then it fell over on its side. She saw the hilt of a dagger sticking out of its neck.

A dagger? Where had that come from? She looked down the beach, there was no one there. There was a splashing sound coming from further down the beach. She got up and went down towards the sound. What she saw surprised her. It was a man, coming up out of the water. He was dressed in medieval costume as of he had stepped out of the pages of a book. He looked at her questioningly. She couldn't help but stare right back at him. He had long golden hair and hard looking green eyes. He had well muscled arms, she could only tell since the chain mail sleeves on his armor were split open to bare the skin beneath them.

"Armor? He's wearing armor? He looks like Norse god out of a story!" Maggie thought. She half expected him to pick up a hammer and calm the storm around him. She wondered what the rest of him looked like but if his arms were any indication, she was sure that any woman would turn her head to stare at him.

They continued staring at each other for several seconds and then he gave a very un-godlike grunt, in Maggie's opinion, and promptly fell unconscious at her feet.

Chapter 2: You're who now?

It took Maggie several seconds to react to what has just happened. Then her instincts took over and she took hold of the man and began to pull him up the beach beyond the tide line. He was heavy! She assumed that it was the armor he was wearing, but she couldn't be sure. He had looked solid enough. Now what? She knew she had to get to some sort of shelter since the storm was upon them and rain was falling in heavy sheets. She wished the man would wake up so she could help him to her car and take him to the nearest hospital. But, the man looked like he was out for the count. Then she remembered and silently thanked the salesman who had talked her into upgrading her Jeep. She could drive the car down the beach!


	2. Rain, rain, rain

_**Chapter 2: Rain, rain, rain**_

_**It took Maggie several seconds to react to what has just happened. Then her instincts took over and she took hold of the man and began to pull him up the beach beyond the tide line. He was heavy! She assumed that it was the armor he was wearing, but she couldn't be sure. He had looked solid enough. Now what? She knew she had to get to some sort of shelter since the storm was upon them and rain was falling in heavy sheets. She wished the man would wake up so she could help him to her car and take him to the nearest hospital. But, the man looked like he was out for the count. Then she remembered and silently thanked the salesman who had talked her into upgrading her Jeep. She could drive the car down the beach! She pulled him a little farther and set him up against a rock so if the water came up much higher he wouldn't drown. Maggie hurried up the beach incline and was breathing heavily by the time she reached the top. Her ruby red Jeep stood several feet from her and she had left the top down! This day was getting weirder and worse all the time! **_

"_**Oh well," she thought, " there isn't anything for it." She climbed into the car and revved the engine. It started with a sputter that she thought sounded a little annoyed. Her car was a little**_** old, old being 10 years. She just hoped the old heap had one last "off roader" in her. A man's life depended on it. She edged carefully off the hill and plummeted down the other side liberally applying the brake to maintain some control over her descent. Once on the beach it was a fairly easy task to speed down to where she had left the man. He was still there as Maggie pulled up. She hopped out and half- pulled half-pushed him into the passenger seat. On her way back to the parking lot she once again saw the body of the strange animal that had assaulted her. She stomped on the brakes, pushed open the door and stepped once again into the pouring rain. When would she get the chance to study this unknown species again?**

**With the carcass in her trunk she pondered where she could take the man. The rain was coming down in a torrent now and Maggie could not see more than 5 feet in from of her. Clearly driving to the hospital was out of the question since it was 20 miles away. Then another though occurred to her. My she was getting forgetful in her old age! She laughed silently at this. **

"**I wonder where 25 is considered old?" she said aloud. After surmounting the slippery hill of sand, which elicited small groans from the man and winces of sympathy from her, she pulled out her cell phone. She quickly called Doc Peters. She waited and waited for the man to pick up. When he finally picked up she said rather exasperatedly:**

"**Doc, finally! Are you home?"**

"**Maggie? Of course I'm home! Have you looked outside? It's like being caught under a waterfall or a shower! Where are you?"**

"**I'm still at the beach. Listen Doc, I need…."**

"**The beach!", he interrupted her. "Do you want to catch pneumonia and die? Why I oughta…"**

"**Not now Doc! I need your help! I found a injured man on the beach and I was hoping I could take him to your place since it's raining to hard and…." It was at this moment that the rain decided to pick up in intensity, and the wind began to howl.**

"**Speak up Maggie, I can't hear you! It sounded like you said something about a wounded lamb? It must be the rain. Raining so hard I can't hear myself think. Still, I think a lamb is your area of expertise not mine…"**

"**Never mind Doc. Can I come over?"**

"**Can you pick clover? In the rain? Why don't you come over, you don't sound too good." Doc said.**

"**I'll see you soon Doc!" As she hung up she could hear him say:**

"**At noon? It's almost dark now…" She smiled to herself. He may no longer be able to hear that well at times, even though he could hear amazingly well when he wanted too like when she had talked to him earlier that day, but he was the most brilliant doctor the state had ever produced. If any one could help her mystery man, it was Doc Thompson.**

**Now all that was left was to get her man there. **

**Maggie turned off onto the main road and began a slow crawl towards the lighthouse the Doc Thompson had made his home. The Thompson family had been in Bayou Bay for as long as anyone could remember. But, even this family could not tell where the town had gotten its name from. Originally settled by French trappers in the 1700's the little town had flourished until the Civil War. After the War the town was deserted until the fishing industry was discovered. And where there were fishing, there were ships and the need for a lighthouse. Enter the Thompson family who maintained the lighthouse until it was moved further up the coast along with the fish. Doc Thompson kept the lighthouse for sentimental reasons and used it as a home office for his local patients. **

**Ahead she could see the lighthouse and, bless him!, he had turned the big swiveling light on . She turned onto the gravel drive and turned off the Jeep. She ran through the rain and pounded on the front wooden door. It opened up and Doc stood on the step. **

"**Hi Maggie, what's going on? All I heard on the phone was something about a lamb…." Instead of wasting precious time explaining the missed conversation, she went to passenger door and opened it. Inside the man looked even worse, Maggie thought. He was drenched with the rain from before but sweat also ran down his drawn face.**

"**Doc, can you help him?"**

"**Won't know until we get him inside. Get his other side there…" Struggling and slipping in the mud they brought the man into the house and put him onto the examining table in the back room. **

"**What's wrong with him Doc? I couldn't see anything wrong even though he was unconscious."**

"**I don't know Maggie. Help me get this armor off of him." They began to unbuckle and un-belt all the armor and then gently pulled off the mail coat. Underneath it revealed a jagged cut reaching from his arm to his waist. It looked like a animal bite. Doc gave a low whistle.**

"**Imagine the strength needed to bite through all of this armor and a mail coat. And look there are bits of the mail in the wound itself," Doc said. Maggie had an idea about the kind of animal.**

"**Maggie, can you get the morphine out of the cabinet for me?"**

"**Sure Doc." She got the bottle and a syringe and gave them to Doc. He gave the man the shot and began to clean out the wound. Even through the morphine the man gave a pained groan. Once the wound was cleaned, Doc bandaged it. **

"**Where should we put him Doc? He obviously can't stay on the table." Maggie said.**

"**Well, the only room I got is the room you stayed in when….." his voice trailed off. Maggie gave him a sympathetic smile and said that they could put the man there. As soon as the man was moved there was a tremendous flash of lightning and the power went out. As they moved around the lighthouse Maggie asked, **

"**How long do you think he will be out?"**

"**Uh, not that long I think." Maggie went back to the bedroom and looked in. Those same hard eyes looked back at her . She stepped back involuntarily.**

"**Well, what's your name son?" asked Doc.**

"**Eomer," said the man.**

**P.S.**

**Hope you all enjoyed this and thank you too all who reviewed! I will try to update whenever I get the chance. Also, my chapter lengths may vary a little from time to time. Hope you all have a great weekend and I'll see you when I update again! =)**


	3. You're who now?

Chapter 3:You're who now?

"Eomer eh? That's an odd name. Not as odd as some I have heard around here though. Do you know where you are or why my friend Maggie here found you on the beach?"

The man, or Eomer, shook his head and began to sit up.

"Shouldn't we stop him Doc? You said he couldn't or shouldn't get up for three or more days!" Maggie said.

"It's all right, just wait". Maggie looked from Doc to the man. He was sitting up slowly and gently. However, he did not even get half way up before he fell back with a pained grunt.

"You see Maggie? I don't have to do anything. Now young fellah," he turned to look at the man, " as you can see you won't be getting up for a while yet. I think what you need right now is sleep, natural sleep, but if you won't stay in bed I'll give you something."

The man, or rather Eomer, as Maggie had to keep reminding herself, looked at Doc and shook his head.

"I require nothing sir, and you have my word I will not try to leave this bed again. That last experience was too painful," Eomer said. He gave a little lopsided smile and looked at Maggie.

"It seems as if I have you to think for saving me, then. Thank you." The words were simple and honest.

"Well," said Maggie, "I really have YOU to thank. I never would have found you if you hadn't of saved me from whatever that thing was that attacked me." Eomer looked at her with a worried look and almost tried to sit up again, but apparently thought better of it.

"Maggie!" said Doc, " You never told me you were attacked!"

"I was going to but I got a little… distracted." she said. She gave a look that said 'I'll tell you later in private'

"Well then, as long as your all right now…."

"I'm fine Doc. Let's leave Eomer to get some rest now." So saying they exited the room and blew out the candles seeing as the power still hadn't come back on. Doc left the door slightly ajar so they could hear any noises coming from the room. He then followed Maggie down the hall to his study. Doc's study always struck Maggie as being out of place. Where as the rest of the house was light and airy the study was dark and almost oppressive. It was richly decorated and was covered floor to ceiling on two walls with bookshelves. A massive fireplace occupied the third wall, while a picture window, in front of which stood Doc's desk, occupied the fourth wall. They settled themselves in the chairs in front of the fireplace and Maggie told Doc all about why she had been on the beach, the attack by the strange animal and her ultimate rescue by Eomer.

"That's quite a story Maggie. I would like to see this strange wolf of yours when the rain clears. An animal with jaws like that must be a wonder to see!" Maggie remembered those hate laden eyes and shuddered.

"I don't know if it's a wonder Doc!"

"Well, we'll have to see in the morning, providing this rain has stopped." He looked out at the rain slashed window illuminated every now and again with flashes of lightning. They sat for a while watching as the power of the storm swept over the little house. The silence was ultimately broken by Doc.

"Maggie, why don't you tell me what you were really doing down on the beach? I know it wasn't the exercise." The question was laden with such gentle concern that Maggie began to cry.

"I know it was stupid Doc! I know that nothing will ever bring Dale back to me, but I can't help it somehow! I feel drawn to the place and if I don't go I feel like I'll explode!" she began crying even harder and Doc moved over to comfort her.

"I know Maggie, I know it hurts and it's hard to understand. Frankly I still don't understand it. But, I must say that it does me good to see you crying instead of bottling it up inside you."

"I just feel like a complete zombie sometimes Doc!" she wailed. "I go from day to day at the clinic and when I get home I can't even remember what I did! If I didn't have our evenings to look forward to I think I would just wither away." Doc held her even tighter at this.

"Now Maggie, there's no need for talk like that! You're so young and you'll get past this eventually. Why think of the good this situation has already done for you!" Maggie looked up at him with a questioning glance.

"What do you mean? Besides giving my tear ducts a good work out how have I benefited?"

"Well," said Doc, " without you that young man would still be lying on the beach at the mercy of this storm." As if it to emphasize his point there was a large crack of thunder.

"Well," she said, "I guess your right about that."

"Of course I am! Now how about I go to the kitchen and fix us a cup of my patented hot chocolate?" Maggie agreed since she knew that his hot chocolate also included a good dose of whiskey when the situation warranted it.

"While you do that, I'll check on Eomer," she said.

While Maggie and Doc had been talking in the study, Eomer had been sleeping, just as he had said he would. Oh, he had tried to figure out where he was and how he had got there all right but he was too tired to try very hard. However his sleep was restless and filled with bad dreams. Warg's loomed at him out of the shadows and bit and clawed at him. White flashes filled his vision as he was spun around and around in the ever deepening darkness. He awoke with a strangled gasp. Where was he? He still didn't know and that scared him, something that was very hard to do. All of a sudden a glint of light penetrated through the fog that was beginning to cover his eyes. He concentrated on it with all his might, afraid that it would vanish into the dark.

Maggie opened the door to Eomer's room and stepped in. He lay still on the bed as if he were asleep, but something didn't look right. She put the candle on the bedside table and put a hand on his forehead. He was burning up! She quickly pulled off the covers and felt the skin around the bandages. It was also hot. She ran out the room towards the kitchen yelling:

"Doc come quick, something is terribly wrong!"


	4. Words we say

_Hi all! I'm glad that you are all reading this story and that you are hopefully enjoying it. I wanted to put a little warning on this chapter because it may disturb those with a more delicate constitution. For the rest of you be prepared for sympathetic winces!_

Chapter 4: Words we say

Maggie ran faster than she had in a long time. She reached the kitchen door and flung it open with a loud "**CRASH**". Doc looked up from the counter where he was making the drinks and eyed her.

"Maggie, what's wrong?"

"It's Eomer Doc. He's gotten worse!" She wordlessly turned around and headed back up the hall, knowing that Doc would follow. Back in Eomer's room she began lighting more candles and praying fervently that the power would come back on. Meanwhile Doc had completely uncovered Eomer and was beginning to undo the bandages wrapping around him. She moved over to help and they quickly had the wound uncovered. Doc uttered a oath when he saw the gash. The skin surrounding it was red and raised while the wound itself had turned a blackish- blue color and was secreting a colored liquid.

"Doc, how did it get so bad so quickly?" Maggie asked. "You just cleaned it a few hours ago!"

"Sometimes even a thorough cleaning won't stop infection though Maggie, you should know that."

"Well, what do you want me to get you?" Doc looked at her.

"I don't HAVE any thing Maggie. I used the last of my supplies on him earlier. I'm supposed to get a delivery tomorrow though."

"Doc," Maggie said, "I know that I'm a vet, but I don't think he'll last until tomorrow."

"I know." said Doc wearily. "I'll just have to clean this out the old fashioned way. Go back into the kitchen and get me a bowl, plenty of washcloth's and towels, water, and that bottle of whiskey on the counter." Several minutes later she returned and saw that Doc had managed to get Eomer on his uninjured side.

"Good, your back," he said. "Can you take a washcloth and begin to wipe the skin around the wound off?"

Maggie did as Doc asked her. She went through several washcloths before Doc was satisfied.

"Ok," he said, "now I need you to just hold him still Maggie."

"Why Doc? He hasn't moved at all."

"He will Maggie. I need to re clean the wound and…" The truth dawned on Maggie.

"And all you have is that pure alcohol right?"

"Right Maggie."

She moved down the bed and put her weight on Eomer's legs. Doc moved to his side and took the lid off the bottle of whiskey. Maggie had thought that he would dab it on using one of the washcloth's but instead he poured it directly into the wound. She was unprepared for the violent reaction that followed and ended up on the floor gasping for breath. Eomer yelled out what sounded like a curse in a language she did not know. Doc looked surprised before saying: "Come on Maggie, I need to do this at least two more times."

She got back up and threw her entire body over his legs this time. Doc poured again and again she landed up on the floor. By the time Doc was done, Maggie was sure that she was a solid bruise from her chest down.

"Do you think that will help Doc?"

"It should be, no infection would be stupid enough to stand up against that! I'll also start him on antibiotics tomorrow when my supply comes in"

"What was he yelling Doc? I didn't understand the language"

Doc cast her a guarded look and said "It wasn't anything Maggie. Just gibberish."

Maggie nodded, it made sense to her. People said odd things when they were in pain. She should know. They re- bandaged the wound and covered Eomer with the sheets.

"I'll watch him for a while Maggie and you can go to sleep. I'll get you if I need you," Doc said.

"All right." She headed out of the room, casting one last glance at the now still figure on the bed.

What Eomer had said was far from gibberish and Doc knew it. He knew from the first that the man was obviously from Rohan and the language he spoke Rohirric. What he couldn't understand was how the man had gotten to the beach unless…. Of course! The storm! The storm must have done it! How he wished the man would wake up so he could ask him some questions!

_So this was a shorter chapter than normal, but I couldn't leave you all hanging! I'm not that mean! But, how did dear old Doc know about Eomer? Hmm. I, unlike many, do not have an evil plot bunny, even though I enjoy reading about them. I do however have a grey kitty who sits with me when I write. I blame her for any and all plot twists. =) (=^.^=)_


	5. Remembrances

_So folks, in this chapter we start to learn a little more about Dale and why he was so important to Maggie. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, I haven't had the time. =( Also, all Maggie's memories have *** before them._

Chapter 5- Remembrances

It was nearly six in the morning before Doc came to wake up Maggie. He gently shook her awake and asked Maggie to look after Eomer since he was expecting his first patients in a few hours and wanted to get some sleep. Maggie quickly got out of the bed and threw on a sweatshirt over her pink p.j.'s. After slipping on her pink bunny slippers, she didn't care WHAT Doc said they were comfortable, she scooted down the hall. She carefully opened the door to her former room and looked in. Eomer still lay asleep on the bed . She pulled the comforter up around him some more and curled up in the arm chair. She watched the regular rise and fall of his chest for some minutes before she too fell asleep. Her dreams however were not the peaceful bliss she was hoping for, but instead memories, pieced together like a movie. And not pleasant memories at that…

The late afternoon sun beat down on Maggie's car as she drive down the rutted dirt road. She was hot and tired after assisting a horse give birth. Apparently the horse had never heard of a vet before and was none to eager for Maggie's assistance in this delicate manner. Maggie almost wished the birth had gone on longer though, then she wouldn't have to go on this blind date tonight. Her best friend, Lilly, had set it up and quite frankly Maggie was petrified at the thought of what kind of man Lilly would find suitable for her. All of a sudden the car gave a jerk and shudder and came to a halt. Steam poured out from underneath the hood as well as from the back. Maggie had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed the cars troubles until it was just too late. She quickly pulled the car to the side of the road and got out.

"Oh great!" she grumbled. At least she would probably miss the ferry that would take her from the small peninsula to the mainland and therefore the dreaded date as well. She pulled out her cell phone and called the auto shop, was it good that she had the number on speed dial?, and told them were she was. They promised that they would send out a tow truck as soon as they could, but told her it might take awhile since they had had a lot of calls. She murmured her thanks and clambered on top of her car to wait. She was glad that she always had a book in her car somewhere and began to read. She had made it through three chapters of Nancy Drew when she heard the sounds of someone approaching. She looked up and saw a man on a white horse coming near her. He was tall and lanky with shoulder length black hair with just the slightest suggestion of a curl to it. He was dressed in a short sleeved white shirt that molded particularly well to him and blue jeans with boots. On top of his head was perched a brown cowboy hat.

"You do know that you're technically stranded on MY road," he said. Maggie didn't know whether to interpret this as a joke or not.

"You're road?" she asked with a slight crack in her voice.

"Well, my ancestors did discover and settle this little peninsula," said the man.

"Oh," she said, " well, may I have leave to break down on your road?" she asked with a grin on her face.

"Hmmm, I suppose you may at that," he said, "for a price."

"And what price might you ask from a poor country vet?"

"Your name. Mine is Dale Pieford." Maggie gave a little gasp at the recognition of the name but quickly caught herself.

"My name is Margaret Roosin, but everyone calls me Maggie," she said. "Now will you help me? You did promise." He laughed and motioned for her to get up on the horse behind him. After she climbed on he pointed the horse towards a large house in the distance.

Maggie awoke with a start but she couldn't remember what awoke her. Then all the events of the past few hours came back and she looked towards the bed. Eomer looked at her with those eyes and she gave a little start.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"I'm all right," he said, " but I am a little thirsty."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said. She unfolded herself from the chair, with a little grunt, and went to the kitchen. When she looked at the clock in the kitchen she was surprised to see that it was 11 o'clock! She was glad she had taken the back way to the kitchen. The last thing she needed was for them to see her at Doc's place again. She grabbed a glass, filled it with water, and took it back to the bedroom. She gave it to Eomer and helped him to drink. When he had had his fill, she asked him again how he felt.

"Honestly," he asked.

"Yes," she said.

"My side feels as though someone been using it for target practice and my head is throbbing like a well used drum."

"Well, that was specific. I don't know if Doc has patients now or not, but I'll go check." Maggie said.

"Thank you," he said.

She went back to her room and changed into her now dry clothes from last night and went to find Doc.

She found him in his office. She knocked on the door and walked in simultaneously.

"Doc," she started and then stopped. Doc was talking to a strange women with her long black hair piled in top of her head. Maggie gave a gasp and came to a sudden stop.

"What are YOU doing here?" Maggie practically yelled.

_Hope you all enjoyed and I hope my next review will be sooner then this. I apologize that it took sooooooooooooooooo long to update. (=^.^=)_


	6. New discoveries

Chapter 6: New discoveries

"You have some nerve coming back here, you… you… cow!" Maggie said, or rather yelled. She was mad now.

"Maggie," said Doc softly.

"No Doc, there is no excuse you can give for this! She has no right to even be here after what she did!"

"Now, now," said the women in a drawling voice; "there's no need for such a violent outburst, _Magdalene_." The women could make the name itself sound insulting and demeaning. The women continued, "I was just here for a heart check up."

"Really, I wasn't aware you HAD a heart Carrie," said Maggie.

"Was there a reason for your bursting into here or did you just feel like it?" Carrie replied.

"I have a reason. Doc," she said turning to face the man, "your patient needs you in the other room."

"Thanks Maggie, I'll be there in a minute," Doc replied giving her a warm, if somewhat apologetic, smile.

"I'll wait for you there," said Maggie coldly.

"Good-bye Magdalene dear! And next time try to be a little bit more discreet when you need Doc." Maggie stormed out of the room while slamming the door. She walked down the corridor and out the back door to Doc's rock garden which was perched precariously on top of the cliffs. She loved to sit on the rock wall and watch the waves role onto the small beach. The waves were still angry after the storm the night before and the sky was grey and spitting cold rain. She didn't care. The rain hid the tears that liberally rolled down her face. In took Maggie awhile to remember Eomer. She wondered how he was doing.

Eomer was in fact not doing well at all. When the girl, Maggie he thought her name was, has asked how he was he had lied. He in fact felt much worse, his side felt on fire and he could barely move. His whole body was sore. All that Eomer knew was that he had to get out of the house. He had to find the place where he had first come into this world. From there he could get back to Rohan and his men.

"They must be searching for me frantically," he thought. By this point he had managed to sit up in the bed and swing his legs over the side. All of a sudden the bedroom door opened and the old man came in.

"Well Eomer, Maggie said I needed to come see you and now I know why. Are you feeling that much better that you can get up now?" Doc asked.

"Yes, I am feeling better now," Eomer lied.

"Uh huh," said Doc. "Well, if that's true why don't you get up and walk." Eomer looked at him and with a small grimace pushed himself of the bed.

"See?," he said.

"Oh for God's sake, sit down before you fall flat on your face Eomer," Doc said. To Eomer's surprise Doc had said this in Rohirric! He obediently sat down.

"How did you know?" Eomer asked.

"It's wasn't very hard to figure out, especially when I came from there myself." Eomer looked at Doc in surprise.

"You came from Rohan?"

"Well, not exactly" said Doc. "I actually come from Gondor, Minas Tirith as a matter of fact. It was in the libraries there that I first read that book "Worlds Around Us". I was a healer by trade there so when I was transported here it wasn't too hard to pass myself as a rural Doctor. If anyone has too complicated a problem I refer them elsewhere." He finished and looked at Eomer. "I assume you have read the same book as me or else you would not be so calm as you are right now."

"I did read the same book as you," said Eomer. "I just always thought it was fairytale and that it could never actually happen. I guess I was wrong!"

"I guess we both were. Now, lay back down and let me check your wound. How did you get it anyway?"

"Well," said Eomer, "my men and I had heard rumors of a particularly vicious band of orcs that have been wandering around our borders for the past several months. We had ambushed them in a canyon one night fought until dawn. We thought they had all been killed and we spent the rest of the day rounding up our wounded and dead. It was twilight and I had wandered far from the rest of my company when I heard a sound. It was a warg feasting on the carcasses of some of our men. I ran towards it and all of a sudden the rest of the pack attacked me from where they had been hiding behind some rocks. I tried to kill as many as I could and then everything went white and the next thing I knew I was standing on a beach and the remaining warg was attacking Maggie. That's all I remember until I woke up here."

"Hmmm," said Doc. "I am know in the uncomfortable position of telling you that you won't be able to go home for at least a month."

"If that's because of my wound," began Eomer.

"No," said Doc. "I say that because the portal that brought you here is only open once every few months if at all."

"So, I'm stuck here then?"

"For the foreseeable future, yes." said Doc.

Eomer just looked at him in shock.

_I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Happy beginning of fall and school to those who are going back!_


	7. Crazy Ideas

_Hi all. First of all I wanted to apologize for the spelling errors in the previous chapter, my computer did not catch them. This chapter is specifically for NaruVamp who was so kind about waiting and was so eager for another chapter. Hope you all enjoy! Also, beware! The grey kitty is with me today! (=^.^=)_

Chapter 7: Crazy ideas

"Are you sure you have no idea when the portal may reopen?" Eomer asked Doc. Doc shook his head.

"No, I don't. The portal is no where near here , in fact it's closer to Maggie's house then mine and… Good grief! I just had a fantastic idea!"

"What?" said Eomer a little warily.

"I wonder if she would even do it, but then she will do pretty much anything I ask her and she is a doctor…. Of sorts…"

"What are you talking about?" said Eomer, a little louder then he meant too.

"No need to shout," said Doc. "I'm talking about Maggie. You could go and recuperate at her house, which is almost on top of the portal. That way you could keep an eye on it and on Maggie as well! It's perfect!"

"Why do I need to keep an eye on Maggie? She looks capable enough," said Eomer.

"Well, she has had a hard time of it lately and I'm afraid she received a rather nasty shock today as well. I know she won't really talk to me about it and I worry about her out there by herself." The care and concern that were clearly recognizable in his voice touched Eomer. He was reminded of his sister Eowyn and how much he wanted to protect her from the hard life around them.

"All right Doc," he said. "If she agrees to your plan and only IF she does, then I'll go to her house and I'll keep an eye on her."

"Perfect!" said Doc. "I'll go ask her right now!" He practically ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Eomer gave a shake of his head and settled into a more comfortable position on the bed wondering what he had gotten himself into.

By the time that Doc came out into the garden after her, Maggie was thoroughly drenched by rain, but she didn't care. She wished the rain would wash her away completely.

"You know, as your Doctor, I can't really condone you sitting in the rain like this," said Doc. The rain had softened his footsteps the results being that Maggie almost fell off the wall in surprise.

"Doc," she yelped, "don't do that! I nearly fell over the cliff!"

"Hardly," said Doc, " there is a reason why I put at least a foot of turf between the wall and cliff. But, that's not the point of why I came out here. I know seeing Carrie again was a shock and I wish I could have warned you that she would be here, but I didn't know either; she just dropped for a quick checkup. And.." Maggie cut him off.

"I know you would have Doc. I don't blame you at all and I would have been fine with seeing her again, but after this last day I was already shaken up. So, I want to apologize to you for the way I responded."

Doc looked at her and smiled.

"No apologies necessary Maggie. Seeing Dale's sister again rather unhinged me too." Maggie gave him a hug and then asked about Eomer.

"Well, he's doing a lot better," said Doc hoping she wouldn't see through his blatant lie. "In fact that's what I wanted to talk to you about Maggie. I'm moving to my winter home a little earlier than usual this year and there's no room for extra guests so I was wondering if Eomer could come and live with you until he's well enough to move on." Maggie looked at him with surprise.

"Well, sure Doc. Will he be ready to go in about an hour? I need to get home to feed the animals."

"Sure Maggie. I'll get him ready!" As he turned to go Maggie caught his arm:

"Doc, what about that strange animal that attacked me?"

"Oh, that. Just take it out the trunk and I'll take care of it for you Maggie."

"Ok Doc, thanks," she said. She watched Doc go off and then looked around the garden one more time before she to got up and went to unload the animal and pack up her things.

An hour later, Maggie and Doc helped Eomer up and into the Jeep and they were off. Doc had given Maggie specific instructions on how to care for Eomer and his wound and stood watching and they took off. Then he took out a shovel and went off to bury the warg carcass Maggie had unloaded.

_I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! See you next time!_


	8. Welcome to your new home!

Chapter 8 : Welcome to your new home!

The Jeep bounced along the dirt road as Maggie tried to navigate around the larger puddles and still try to keep to a smooth road for Eomer. It wasn't working. For every puddle she avoided there was an even bigger bump in the road which she couldn't avoid. All in all it was a rough ride. She looked over at Eomer and saw the grim set of his mouth.

"I'm sorry about the awful road," she said. "It won't be much longer, my house it just right up here." Eomer just gave a nod of his head and took a tighter grip on the hand hold. Maggie finally pulled into her long gravel drive where they were somewhat sheltered from the continuous rain by large weeping willows. She continued to drive until she reached the garage next to her house. Maggie drove in and shut the garage door with a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness," she said. "If I had to listen to the rain on my car for one more minute I was going to go insane!" She moved around the car to help Eomer out the door. She leaned him against the hood for support since she needed both arms for what was about to come.

"Do you like animals?" she asked. Eomer gave another nod, if somewhat hesitantly. He could hear a dull roar emanating from behind the door that led to the house.

"Good," Maggie said, "then you'll love it here." She walked to the door and turned the handle and was seemingly engulfed in a wave of wagging tails and furry bodies. Before Eomer knew what was happening a big brown dog was jumping up on him seeking attention. Maggie made a grab for his collar and yanked him down.

"Bad Samson," she yelled. Now that Maggie was still Eomer could see that there weren't as many animals as he thought. He counted: two dogs ( including Samson), three cats, and two rabbits.

"Well," Maggie continued "this is your new home for a while and these are the guys who will be keeping you company while I'm at work tomorrow. You've already met Samson and we'll do the other 'introductions' later. Right now let's get you settled in and I'll take a look at your bandages." She took one of his arms and led the way through the swarm of animals that followed them. She led him through a tidy house to a back room with a desk and chair, a lamp, and a singularly wonderful looking bed. She told him to lie down and she checked his bandages. She was glad she did. His wound did not look any better to her at all nor did Eomer. In fact she had no idea why Doc had allowed Eomer to come with her. She gave her head a little shake as she changed the bandages and waved away the inquisitive cats. Once she was done she asked Eomer if he needed anything else and when he said no she left the room, followed by a retinue of animals. Samson however stayed behind and hopped up on the bed. He had decided that he liked Eomer and in fact Eomer was glad of the company. He had always liked animals, dogs especially. He fell into a fitful sleep with Samson's head on his hand.

After Maggie left Eomer she went to her room, slipped into her most comfortable robe and started a hot bath in her tub. She was tired of cold water and was looking forward to a nice soak. She poured in some bubble bath and got her favorite novel from her bookshelf which was crammed full of volumes and got in. An hour later she reluctantly got out and dressed. She looked in on Eomer and found him sleeping as before then she walked to the kitchen. Maggie shooed the cats off the counter before she found the phone and dialed Doc's number. He picked up after the third ring:

"Hello Maggie! How's everything going over there?"

"Doc, why did you let him go home with me? He isn't anywhere near being better." Maggie said, somewhat indignantly.

"I told you Maggie, I'm leaving for my winter house earlier this year. That's why asked you to look after him. Has anything gone wrong?" Doc asked with some concern in his voice.

"No," said Maggie, "I just shouldn't have agreed to this. I just feel so stressed out!"

"I'm sorry Maggie, I shouldn't have asked you to take care of him," Doc said.

"Doc, its not your fault, I know that you had already been thinking about moving early. I'm just worried about when I'm gone tomorrow. I think I'll ask Lilly if she can come over while I'm at work."

"That sounds like a great idea Maggie. Call me if you need anything else all right?"

"Ok Doc." Maggie hung up the phone then called Lilly who said she would come over the next day, then she went to her room and curled up in her bed surrounded by her animals and fell asleep.

_I know it's been a long time since I updated so I'm sorry. I hope this chapter was worth the wait. If you guys think that Maggie is really messes up, just wait, I will explain. See you next time!_


	9. Rythms

Chapter 9: Rhythms

Several weeks had passed since Eomer first came to Maggie's house and life had fallen into a regular rhythm. Maggie woke up early in the morning and made breakfast for her animals before going to wake up Eomer and his now constant companion, Samson. Then Maggie made him breakfast, ensured that he was comfortable, checked his bandages and headed off to work. In the beginning Maggie's friend Lilly came to watch Eomer and they had struck up a friendship immediately. Eventually, Eomer was well enough to be by himself when Maggie went to work and he spent this extra time hiking around her property trying to find the place where the portal might reappear. So far, he hadn't been able to find it and since he hadn't heard anything from Doc, he began to despair of ever finding it.

Early that morning, Maggie headed off to her office with two of the cats and Eomer set off with Samson on his morning walk. His side was still tender and he had found that he had become rather weak during his recovery. To offset this weakness, he often carried a stout stick with him. Maggie had raided the nearby thrift store to find clothes that fit him and that day he was wearing blue jeans and a green form fitting turtleneck. When he came back from his walk along the cliffs he saw Maggie 's Jeep pulling into the drive pulling a trailer of sorts. He met her on the driveway and smiled at her as she got out.

"Hi Eomer," she said.

"Hello, what are you doing here? I thought you were working late today," he said.

"Well, I was, but I wasn't there two hours before this guy came up with this young horse. He said the animal was un-trainable and wanted me to get rid of it. I told him that since I had a paddock, of sorts, I would take the horse and see what I could do." Eomer looked into the trailer and was met by two fiery green eyes staring at him out of a black face.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Maggie asked. The horse heard her and tossed his head. The horse had spirit Eomer thought. He couldn't wait to see the rest of it. Maggie opened up the back of the trailer and attached a rope to the horses bridle. As she led him down the ramp, Eomer could see that the animal was almost completely black, except for one foot, which had a white spot on it. Muscles rippled across the horses chest and in its hind legs. Overall it was a very impressive animal. The "impressive animal" chose that particular moment to act like a stubborn mule and it took Eomer and Maggie to drag him to the paddock. The horse couldn't have been less helpful in the process if he had actually sat down.

Once inside however and with the offensive rope off, he began prancing around and tossing his proud head again.

"If he continues doing that, he will have a sore neck in the morning and I'm not going to do anything about it," said Maggie. Then she told Eomer goodbye and headed back to work. She hadn't thought to tell Eomer not to go near the horse, she didn't think she had to. Eomer waited until she was out of sight before he opened up the paddock gate and stepped in. The horse eyed him warily and side stepped away. He began to talk to the horse in his native Rohirric tongue which seemed to calm the horse somewhat. He walked slowly towards the horse which balked and then stood still. Eomer reached towards the horse and put a hand on its broad snout.

For several days afterwards Eomer worked with the horse whenever Maggie was gone. It was not all as easy as the first day. The horse was spirited and strong and Eomer had several bruises to show for it, especially when the horse had head butted him in his already tender side. He had trouble hiding that from Maggie. Things progressed this way until one day when Maggie made a surprising announcement. Doc was coming for a visit.


	10. Portals and Pasts

Chapter 10- Portals and Pasts

It was still several days before Doc actually arrived at Maggie's farm. When he finally did, he was met by the same retinue of animals as was Eomer. Maggie gave him a huge hug and Eomer gave him a firm handshake. After Doc had unpacked in the guest room, Eomer was temporarily reduced to sleeping on the couch an experience he was not looking forward to, Doc suggested that they all take a walk to the nearby cliffs. Maggie said she would stay behind to cook dinner and so Eomer and Doc headed off.

"So, how are things going for you Eomer?" Doc asked.

"Not as well as I would like," Eomer replied. "I am not regaining my strength as quickly as I would like to. Also, I am worried about Rohan. I have been here more than a month . How do they fare without me?"

"Well," said Doc "I can not say how Rohan fares without her king, but I can tell you why you're still weak. Since we hail from a different world, the time it would normally take for something to occur, like completely healing your wound, is longer for us."

"Why?" asked Eomer.

"I haven't been able to find that out yet," admitted Doc. By this point they had reached the edge of the cliffs. The sea crashed onto the small beach below and black gulls circled overhead.

"Why are we here?" asked Eomer.

"Because in three nights time, this is where the portal to our world will re-appear."

"Three days!" exclaimed Eomer. "So soon! I thought I would have a longer time period then that." Doc looked at him in surprise.

"Why Eomer you sound almost disappointed! I would think that you would be thrilled to be able to return home."

"Aye, I thought so to." said Eomer. "It's just I believe that I have come to care for….."

"For what?" asked Doc.

"Oh.. Er.. For this world."

"Son, you are about the worst liar I have ever seen! At least try to add a little imagination to your lies. I know very well that it's not the land you care for… it's Maggie." Eomer looked shocked at first and then slowly nodded his head.

"You're right. I do care for her…. deeply."

"Well, if you're serious about her at all, then there's something's you should know about her past. She was engaged to a man called Dale Pieford for about a year. They were planning on getting married in the fall when Maggie found out she was pregnant. Soon, Dale just disappeared. No one could find out where he went or why, not even his family. The police declared him dead three weeks later. The stress ended up causing Maggie to miscarry her child. She was left with nothing and was completely alone, or so she thought. In desperation one night she tried to take her own life. Luckily, Lilly reached her in enough time to stop her. That's why I am always so protective of Maggie." Eomer looked in shock at the older man.

"I had no idea," he finally said. "I had heard her mention Dale before, but…. How could he ever leave her?"

"I don't know Eomer. But, I do know that you had better never hurt Maggie. She means a lot to me."

"I would never hurt her. She means everything to me. I'm just scared that I would hurt her if I had to leave her."

"Well, what you do is up to you," said Doc. "Just remember what I said."

_Well, now you know some more about Maggie's past. What do you think? Does Maggie love Eomer too? (=^.^=)_


	11. If I could

Chapter 11- If I could

They walked back to the farm in silence. Overhead the gulls continued to cry and in the distance a lone dog howled. Eomer couldn't believe what Doc had told him about Maggie. Now, it would be even harder for him to try and hide his feelings for her. He wanted to do nothing more than take her in his arms and hold her until she knew that everything in the world would work out for them. When they reached the farm, Doc went back to his room and Eomer went out to work with the horse which they decided to call Antony since he was so proud.

As he walked up to the paddock, Antony raised his head and neighed a greeting. Eomer was surprised to see Maggie standing next to Antony, giving him a good brushing. Every now and again she would old her hand palm up to the horse and give him a sugar cube.

"Hi Eomer!" she said. "Did you and Doc have a nice walk?"

"Yes, we did. What are you doing out here with Antony?" Eomer asked.

"Oh….. I haven't seen him in a while and I just thought he would like some company.." She turned away from him, but not before Eomer saw the tears coursing down her cheek.

"Maggie, what's wrong?" Eomer asked. She shook her head and began walking out of the paddock. Eomer grabbed her arm and pulled her around to face him.

"Maggie," he said. "I know what happened to you. Doc told me everything about Dale and ….. And the baby. I am so sorry Maggie, if I could change any of it I would." Maggie looked up at him.

"You have nothing to be sorry for Eomer. What happened is done and there's no changing it." She gently pulled free from him and ran out of the paddock. Eomer looked after her and was not surprised when he felt tears running down his own cheeks. As if sensing his distress, Antony came up from behind and nuzzled his shoulder. Eomer turned and put his fingers in the horses mane, gently leading him over to the mounting block. He vaulted on the horse's bare back after opening the gate and galloped out of the paddock.

Back in the house, Maggie was fuming. Doc had no right to tell Eomer anything! Hadn't she already been humiliated enough by the whole situation? She went to the back guestroom and knocked on the door. When it opened, she stormed in.

"You had no right!" she yelled at Doc.

"Maggie, what are you talking about?" asked Doc.

"Why did you tell Eomer about Dale and the baby?" by now the tears were coming so fast that Maggie could barely talk.

"Oh," said Doc and lowered his head. "Believe me Maggie, I had a good reason."

"Really? I would love to hear it!"

"Eomer told me that he loves you Maggie. I thought he had a right to know…."

"To know that I was damaged goods…" Maggie said quietly. Doc drew himself up and glared at her.

"Never say that again Maggie. If he truly loves you, then he would want to help you through this, not judge you!" Maggie was taken aback at this. Love her? How could Eomer love her? Her mind went back to the time they had spent together that month. She had really enjoyed that month, having someone around to talk and laugh with. Some nights she would make a fire and they, with all the animals, would lay in front of it with a good book. The way Eomer acted in the paddock suddenly made more sense now. He was trying to help her and she had pushed him away.

"Maggie?" Doc's voice broke her out of her reverie.

"Oh Doc, I've been so stupid! I need to go find Eomer!" Before he could stop her, she ran out of the door and towards the paddock. It was empty and the gate was open. Eomer was gone.

_It's a cliffy I know! Don't kill me… Please! I am very happy to be back writing now and hope to update more regularly. Thank you to all those who have stuck it out with me and who review. I like reviews! (=^.^=)_


	12. Eomer?

Chapter 12- Eomer?

Maggie stared at the open gate. Gone…. Eomer was gone. Where could he have gone? Overhead, thunder rumbled as the sky, which had been threatening rain for some hours, opened up. Maggie stood in the downpour for several minutes before heading back to her house. She walked past Doc, headed for her room, and shut the door. She lay down on the bed and began to silently cry.

"Why wouldn't he leave me?" she wondered aloud. "I haven't done anything but push him away from me… Who would want me anyway?" At this thought, loosed from the silent prison of her mind, she began to cry in earnest. Several hours later, she wiped her eyes and confronted the truth. She loved Eomer; she had been denying it because she did not want to be hurt again. Now, another man had left her… but she was not going to let this one stay gone.

…

Eomer had also been caught in the storm. Antony shifted nervously underneath him at the thunder. Eomer did not notice the horse's fidgeting as he stared out at the ocean before him. He had ridden Antony several miles down the coast before the rain had hit. She did not want him. He had tried to express his feelings for her and she had rejected him.

"The only thing to do… no" he corrected himself, "The only _honorable _thing to do is to leave Maggie and this world before I do more harm." Considering the matter decided, Eomer wheeled Antony around and headed back for the farm.

….

Back at Maggie's house, Doc was mentally kicking himself. How could he have been so stupid as to tell Eomer all about Maggie? It seemed to be a good idea at the time, but now he could see the folly of it.

"Well," he thought, "perhaps it's for the best. Eomer will be gone soon enough and I doubt Maggie would have made it through another rejection" He still hated to see her go through this at all though. Outside he heard the sound of an approaching horse and walked hurriedly to the door. Before he could reach it, Maggie barreled past him and grabbed the door handle. Throwing it open, she gasped at the sight before her.

"Hello Maggie," said Dale.

_I know, I know! It is short, but my writing bug did not stay around that long this time. I will be gone on vacation next week, so I will not be able to update, but do not worry, I will be giving this story plenty of thought. Till then (=^.^=)_


	13. Evil Calls Evil

_Hi guys! Ducks behind computer screen as irate readers throw pointy objects. Ok so it hasn't been a week, but I think you'll agree that this chapter is worth it. I hope…._

Chapter 13- Evil Calls Evil

"Dale!" Maggie said. All she could do was look at him. How could it be? How was he here and alive?

"Yes Maggie, it's me." Doc came up behind Maggie and put a hand on her shoulder. He was as surprised as she was.

"How Dale?" Maggie managed to ask. "The police said you were dead."

"Well, the police don't always get everything right. Circumstances beyond my control forced me to leave. But," he said, gazing down at her, "none of that matters anymore. I'm back and I don't plan on leaving." He gave her a swift and firm hug. Maggie was too shocked to return it.

Outside, Eomer saw Dale embrace Maggie.

"There," he though to himself. "Her true love is back, there is no need for me to linger." He turned Antony around and headed down the road to Doc's house, planning to stay there until the time was right for him to depart.

Back in the house, only Doc's keen eyes had seen Eomer come and go. Turning to Maggie he explained that he needed one of the files from his house, gave her hand a squeeze, and left. Maggie gave a small wave, but never took her eyes off Dale.

Could it really be?

"Dale…." she began. How was she supposed to begin?

"There's no need to explain Maggie. I know that this must all be a shock for you and to tell the truth I wasn't sure how to tell you. I feared that maybe you had found someone else to love and had left me. I don't think that I could have stood that Maggie." She gulped and tore his eyes from his.

"Oh Dale," she said. "How could you think I could ever love anyone else?"

Eomer reigned in Antony at Doc's back door. He hadn't thought about how he was going to get into the house, he only knew he needed to get away from Maggie. Tying Antony to a nearby tree limb he walked over to the back door and tried the knob. It was open! He gently opened the door and walked in. Everything was how he remembered it, except for a large bowl of water on the floor. He walked into the back bedroom and sat down on the edge of the bed. By Doc's calculations, the portal back the Middle Earth should be opening soon. He would return to Rohan and try to forget this experience. He tensed as he heard the back door opening. Who else would be coming to Doc's house? He sincerely hoped that it wasn't Maggie, he wouldn't be able to face her and her true love yet. Peering around the door, he saw Doc walk in.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"A man isn't allowed to come into his own house?" asked Doc with a smile.

"Why aren't you with Maggie and Dale?" Eomer said.

"I thought that they needed some time alone. A better question would be what you are doing here." Eomer was about to answer when he saw a shadow behind Doc detach itself from the wall and begin to move forward.. The light of the setting sun glinted off its teeth as it let out a savage growl.

"Doc," Eomer yelled. The old man whirled around and faced the warg. Then with surprising quickness, he leaped out of the way. Without thinking, Eomer charged the beast with nothing but his bare hands. He pointed his shoulder down and barreled into the warg's side. The beast snapped and snarled, trying to bite Eomer.

"Eomer!" yelled Doc. Eomer spared a glance towards him and saw him holding a Gondorian sword! Doc tossed the weapon and Eomer caught it by the handle. He whirled around and drove the sword up until the hilt into the warg. It gave a howl of pain and fell down. When it didn't move, Eomer removed the sword and with a swift chop, cut off the head.

"I thought that was dead!" he said.

"It was," said Doc. "I buried it myself. There is only one explanation for this."

"What is that?" asked Eomer.

"Evil calls evil. We need to get back to Maggie and fast!"

_I will try to update more regularly. I apologize! (=^.^=)_


	14. To the Rescue

Chapter 14 – To the Rescue

"What do you mean 'Evil calls evil", Doc?" Eomer asked.

"It's actually very simple. The warg that came through the portal with you was evil, as you know firsthand. The only way that it could come back to life is if something of greater evil came through the same portal."

"You mean Dale!" said Eomer. "But you said that the portal was closed and that was why I was trapped here."

"The portal is closed for those wishing to return home," said Doc. "But not for those who wish to come to this world. I'm not exactly sure on all the details but…" he stopped as he saw Eomer walking out the door.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To rescue Maggie!"

Maggie sat on the couch next to Dale as he told her his story.

"It was the most amazing thing," he said. "One minute I was standing on the edge of the cliff and the next thing I knew I was surrounded by this bright light. When I could see again, I found myself in this forest. I must have walked for days without food and water before I passed out. I was nearly dead when Shannon found me and nursed me back to health. When I began to explore the surrounding forest, I wasn't sure if I was alive or dead. Shannon told me that I was in someplace called Middle Earth, that it was another world alongside ours. She called herself a witch and she began to teach me some of her magic." Maggie was startled at this. Dale was usually so sensible, who was this Shannon that she had so influenced him.

"I know this sounds really unbelievable," Dale said. "But you have to believe me Maggie." Maggie simply nodded and he continued.

"She taught me so much and I learned that I had…. powers. We grew together in our power until she told me that I was ready for the final test. She took me out of the woods to a nearby village. Shannon said that I had to destroy them all in order to access the full extent of my powers. Maggie… I destroyed the entire village and reduced it to rubble….not because she told me to but because… I wanted to!" Maggie looked at him in shock. What was he talking about!

"Dale, how could you possibly want to do something so awful?"

"Love Maggie, love. That's what made me do it." Dale then grabbed her hand and pulled her closer. "But unlike what you think, it's wasn't for your pathetic love or even for that unborn whelp of yours. I have changed since I discovered the power within me. I have finally found a love worthy of me and my new position. Let me introduce you to Shannon." Maggie looked around, waiting to see the women walk through the door. Instead Dale closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate. The air next to him began to shimmer and take the shape of a tall, elegant woman. Her hair was a deep red, almost the color of blood, and made a sharp contrast with her pale white skin. Her green eyes glared at Maggie but softened considerably when she saw Dale.

"This is Shannon," said Dale.

"Why can't I see her completely," said Maggie.

"Because," said Dale. "She isn't completely here. She's still stuck in Middle Earth and she is missing just one thing to bring her back. Unlike your precious Eomer, she has not been sent here by the higher powers so she is trapped." Maggie sat back in shock. Eomer was also from this Middle Earth! How could that be? Why had he lied to her?

"What exactly is Shannon missing?" asked Maggie, scared to know the answer.

"Well, and this is rather awkward, she appears to be missing a body. Now," he moved closer to her and grabbed her other arm, "you wouldn't mind dying would you, darling?" he gave the last word a sarcastic twist.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Maggie turned her head towards the door.

"Eomer!" Maggie cried.

"Ah yes, dear Eomer," said Dale. "You have finally come, I was wondering when you would connect the dots. But I assume that you had help from the doddering old doctor."

"Let her go Dale," Eomer growled.

"I'd love to but you see I can't. I have need of her still." With that Dale raised his hand and the whole room was plunged into darkness. Seconds later it lifted but Dale and Maggie were gone!

_Happy New Years Everyone!_


	15. To the Rescue Part II

Chapter 15- To the Rescue

Eomer looked wildly around the room. Where had they gone? The smoke had only enveloped him for a few seconds. Either Dale did indeed have amazing magical powers and spirited them away, or he and Maggie were still nearby. If this was the case then Eomer would be able to hear them moving about. He closed his eyes and concentrated. There was absolute silence. Perhaps they had indeed materialized out of the house and to another location entirely. Then he heard a faint sound coming from inside the hall closet; but when he opened the door, there was no one there. Again he heard the scratching sound from within the closet, but this time it appeared that the noise emanated from behind the wall! Of course! There was a secret panel behind the wall. He mentally cursed himself for forgetting the possibility and began to look for the trigger that would open the door. He knew it had to be fairly obvious since Dale had not had enough time during the smoke screen to do much. Eomer finally found the switch and a panel of the wall moved aside and emitted one of Maggie's cats! It must have been in the closet, one of their favorite hiding places, and simply slipped through the opening. Inside the wall, the passageway was dark and dusty and seemed to continue for some way parallel to the wall. Before Eomer could dive head long into the opening, sword in hand, he felt a hand fall on his shoulder. He whirled around and saw Doc standing at the opening of the closet.

"He's taken her Doc," Eomer said. "He plans to kill her as soon as he can in order to bring his witch love to this world." Instead of looking amazed Doc just nodded his head.

"I knew something like this would eventually happen," he said. "That Dale was trouble from the very beginning."

"If you knew this would happen, why didn't you try to warn Maggie?" asked Eomer. Doc gave him a sad look.

"I tried to warn her Eomer, but she wouldn't listen to me. Now I will have to pay the price for not _making _her listen."

"Will you come with me?" asked Eomer.

"No, I'm too old to be gallivanting around in secret tunnels and defeating evil wizards; I leave that to the young. But, I thought you could use this." He handed Eomer a flashlight and wished him good hunting. Nodding, Eomer stepped through the door and didn't stop to look when it fell closed behind him. He could only think of Maggie.

At that moment, Maggie could only think of not falling over. Dale had dragged her by then arm through the smoke screen and into the closet. She saw the panel open and was helpless to stop herself being pulled through. Once inside the tunnel, Dale tied her hands and put a blindfold over her eyes, which she thought redundant. When she told him this Dale only laughed and said: "Just because you are going to be blind doesn't mean I have to be as well." She heard him mutter a few words and light sprang up all around them. They continued down the passageway until he stopped her.

"There are stairs ahead; I'll have to carry you. Don't get any romantic ideas darling; I just don't want to harm Shannon's body." Maggie shivered to hear another person's name put to her body and when he felt her he laughed. He put her down at the bottom of the stairs and removed her blindfold. She was in a round room carved out of the rock. Nearby she could hear the rhythmic sound of the waves on the beach; they must have travelled farther than she thought. Ahead of her, a circle was drawn into the dirt and was inscribed with odd runes and words. Dale pushed her into the middle of the circle and before she knew what had happened had slit her palm to the bone. Blood poured out and was eagerly absorbed by the sand. He began to chant again and the pale image of Shannon began to glow besides Maggie. Maggie tried to shy away from the image but found that her feet were somehow fixed to the floor. Then Shannon moved in front of her and knelt on the wet sand and began to drink the blood that was starting to pool.

"Blood taken from a victim, let it bring life to the one I love," intoned Dale. Shannon drank again.

"Blood taken from a victim, let it bring strength to the one I love," Dale said. Shannon drank from the ground again.

"Blood taken from a victim, let it bring to me the one I love!" yelled Dale. The image of Shannon began to shake and quiver and move closer to Maggie. Maggie could not help shivering with fear when the wraith like Shannon touched her feet.

"Blood taken from the victim…" began Dale again as he too knelt at the pool of blood.

"Let it take the life from you!" yelled Eomer as he ran Dale through with his sword. Dale shrieked and fell to the ground. The wraith like Shannon also emitted a loud wail and began to contract until it was no bigger than a quarter before it was absorbed through the sand. Eomer ran to Maggie and quickly tore off a piece of his shirt and wrapped it around her still bleeding hand before he cut her bonds. He turned to lead her from the awful cave, but she stopped him. He turned and looked at her, her eyes full of tears.

"Never fear Maggie," he said. "I will get you out of here and then I will leave you to live her life in peace."

"No," she said quietly. "Don't ever leave me Eomer. You left me once and I couldn't stand it, if you leave me again I will surely die." Then she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him soundly on the lips. Several moments passed before they heard the dry chuckle behind them.

"All very touching I'm sure," said the voice. "But we still have unfinished business." Eomer whirled around and saw Dale get up off the floor.

_Heehee! Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! If you have any questions, comments, or reviews =) let me know! (=^.^=)_


	16. The Dance of Death

Hi All!

I'm back! I'm sorry that it took me so long to update, but honestly, I got discouraged by one of those flamers and then got a case of writers block. I hope to be updating weekly! (Ignores shocked reader's gasps) and to begin a new story for Halloween, or as I like to say Howl-oween, with Eomer!

Chapter 16- The Dance of Death

Eomer whirled around and saw Dale get up off the floor with Eomer's sword still in his chest. Dale grasped the hilt and pulled the bloodless blade out of his chest, flinging it aside.

"Did you really believe you could kill me so easily Eomer? I am stronger than you could possibly imagine!" Eomer turned ever so slightly and whispered to Maggie:

"Run!" He gave her a push towards a passage way that led off to the side, and gathering himself, leaped at Dale. There was a thud as the two bodies met, but the rest of battle was in silence, except for the occasional grunt of pain. Maggie ran up the passageway and found herself on the cliff, half a mile or more from her home. The clouds that had been threatening rain all day had finally broken open and she was quickly drenched. Overhead, lightning cracked and sizzled and the wind moaned as it whipped the waves high. Without another thought for the elements, she ran back towards her house and the secret compartment. She had not even gone ten steps when a figure emerged from the passage entrance behind her. She put on a burst of speed, but the figure grabbed her arm and swung her about. It was Dale!

"Dale! What have you done to Eomer?" she cried.

"I simply used a simple magic spell to create confusion," he answered her. "Since we have unfinished business to attend to. Look at the sky!" Dale gripped the back of her head and forced her to look up. "The elements are perfect for the opening of the portal. Soon we will be back with Shannon and nothing will interfere with the ceremony this time."

"That's what you think," Maggie said. She kicked out and caught Dale in the stomach with her foot. He released his hold on her as he sank to the ground, gasping for breath. Maggie took the opportunity to hit him squarely in the face with her fist. She felt and heard the satisfying crunch of cartilage as his nose broke and blood spilled over his face. Dale fell back with a cry, holding his injured face and Maggie turned and sprinted towards the passage. She heard Dale get to his feet and begin pursuing her and she knew that she could never make it to the safety of the narrow passage in time before he caught her. She veered towards the cliff and whirled around at the sight of the raging ocean below her.

"You have nowhere else to go Maggie," Dale said thickly, thanks to his nose. "Your pathetic attempt to run away has failed and there is no one to save you now." While he had been talking, Maggie had noticed movement at the edge of the passage. It was Eomer! He was cradling his left arm as if it had been injured. When he saw that Maggie had noticed him he put his fingers to his lips in a plea for silence. Maggie thought desperately for something that would distract Dale.

"Why didn't you try to come back Dale?" she asked. "I'll go with you willingly if you answer me that."

"Why would I come back here?" Dale replied. "With Shannon, I was finally free. Free from obligations and concerns. I could do whatever I wanted to do. I had originally gone to the cliff in order to end my life. I couldn't stand the thought of living the boring and normal life you had planned for us and apparently, fate agreed with me." All Maggie could do was nod her head. Dale started forward to grab her arm when Eomer ran out. He barreled into Dale and they fell in a heap at the edge of the cliff near Maggie. Dale sneered up at Eomer:

"Ah finally, the noble warrior, come to rescue the maiden. I thought….." What Dale thought Maggie would never know for at that instant, Eomer pulled out a dagger and plunged it through Dale's eye. Dale stiffened and his mouth moved soundlessly for several seconds as his limbs thrashed. Then he lay still. Stiffly, Eomer got up and looked at Maggie and opened his arms. She couldn't do anything but stare back at him with her mouth open. Then, as she moved towards Eomer, the cliff under her collapsed.


	17. Falling For You

Hi All!

I told you a week and it has been one week! Aren't you surprised? I am! I am also very happy to be writing and getting your reviews (hint hint) again. Enjoy!

Chapter 17- Falling For You

Maggie screamed as the cliff collapsed under her. Without thinking she leaped forward and grabbed Eomer's outstretched arm. He pulled her to himself as they heard the dull splash of earth over the roaring of the wind. They stood wrapped in this embrace for several minutes, until Eomer finally stirred.

"Maggie, we need to get back to your house. There is much we need to discuss." Maggie nodded and let herself be led back into the passage and up into her house. Eomer sat down on a chair as Maggie settled onto the couch across from him. She looked at him and tried to think of where to begin. Finally she said:

"Why didn't you tell me the truth Eomer? "

"What would you have done if I had told you that I was from another world Maggie? One that was similar to this one, but also very different?"

"I suppose I would have been confused and, all right, a little alarmed. In retrospect, I guess I can see why you didn't tell me. But now I know, so tell me."

"Tell you what?" Eomer asked.

"Tell me everything! I love you Eomer and I want to know all about you, the real you, and all about the world you come from."

"All right…. My name really is Eomer and I come from the land of Rohan in Middle Earth…"

Several hours later, Eomer looked down at Maggie. As he had talked she had eventually moved over to where he sat and snuggled against his chest.

"And that's all I remember until I woke up here," he finished. For several minutes, Maggie didn't say anything; she only gazed at the far wall.

"So," she said looking up at him. "I guess this means that you'll be leaving soon to go back to your home?" Eomer nodded sadly.

"Believe me Maggie, I don't want to, but Rohan needs her king; now more than ever before." Maggie nodded her agreement, but Eomer could see the tears in her eyes.

"And it's not possible for you to ever return?" she asked.

"Not from what I have read."

"I can't lose you Eomer. Is there any way that I can come with you?" Eomer looked at her in shock.

"Would you really do that Maggie? Leave everything behind to come be my queen?" Maggie laughed and said:

"Yes, Eomer I would. " Eomer grabbed her and passionately kissed her.

"We should go to Doc's to ask his advice," she mumbled against his mouth.

"That would be a good idea," he responded as his kisses began slipping down her neck. She broke away and gave him a sly smile.

"Race you outside," she said. Maggie knew that the roads to Doc's house would be flooded by the recent downpour and that the only way to get there was by horse. She saddled Antony and then climbed up behind Eomer. As they started off along the cliff, the lightning began to increase in frequency. The thunder boomed and the rain came down with a vengeance. As they were reaching their destination, there was a final boom of lightning so close that Antony reared and Maggie was thrown off. As she hit the ground, she saw Antony and Eomer bathed in a bright flash of white light. She felt a warmth begin to crawl along her legs, and then blackness took her.


	18. So This Is Rohan?

Hello Faithful Readers! I know, I know, it has been more than a week, but put down your pointy implements, I have a good reason. First I had to take the GRE, then I was interviewing for a job, and THEN I had to get part of my toe nail cut out because it had become ingrown. Now I'm in a surgical shoe! =( Anyhoo, thank you to all my wonderful reviewers and now on to the story!

Chapter 18- So This Is Rohan?

Maggie awoke with a start. She found herself lying in the grass on a small hill. When she sat up, she could see the grasslands stretching all the way to the horizon where the mountains began. Where was she? Was this Rohan? If so, then where was Eomer? She got up and started down the hill towards a small cluster of trees that stood near a brook. It seemed a better place to wait and make a plan than the exposed hill top. Overhead, the sun was shining brightly and there was nary a cloud in the sky. The grasses were tall and heavily laden with seed heads and Maggie had some difficulty pushing through the grass. She stopped after several minutes to catch her breath. Only a few yards more to the trees which were grouped closely together. When she reached the grove, she heard a familiar whinny.

"Antony!" she cried. The horse was standing some distance away, complacently chewing on grass. But, he had no rider!

"Oh Antony, where is Eomer?" asked Maggie, as if the horse could talk. "And where are we? And how did we get here?" She knew it was nonsensical to talk to a horse, but it made her feel better and she kept up the chatter as she carefully examined Antony.

"Well, it looks like you made it through the portal, or whatever it was, all right Antony. Now," she said swinging onto the horse's broad back, "let's go find Eomer!"

Several miles away, Eomer awoke flat on his back on the bank of a stream. He sat up and looked desperately around him. Where was Maggie and Antony? Eomer immediately recognized the countryside and felt a thrill at being back in Rohan. As he pushed himself to his feet he gave a gasp of pain. He looked down at his arm, where Dale had cut him. The wound was still bleeding so he washed it in the river and bound it with a strip of his shirt. He knew he would have to have it attended to soon, before it became infected. But where to begin looking for Maggie? When he had come to her world, the warg had been right in front of him. Apparently, the rules were different for coming back through the portal. He picked a direction that seemed the most likely and headed off.

Maggie had been riding for about two hours when she saw someone in the distance. The figure appeared to be walking towards her and Antony. Immediately all the stories Eomer had told her about the dangers of the Mark, even now in peace, came to her mind and she started to look for someplace to hide. Directly ahead there was an outcropping of rocks that could easily hide Antony's body, as well as her own. She made for it and concealed herself just as the figure approached. Even before she could see his face, Maggie knew it was Eomer. She let out a squeal of joy and ran around the rock. Eomer whirled at the high pitched sound and froze for several seconds. Then he was running before he even knew it and wrapping his arms around Maggie. He kissed her and kissed her. She held him as tightly as she could.

"Of Eomer, I can't believe I found you! I was so scared that I would never find you," she cried.

"You never have to worry Maggie. I have finally found you and I don't plan on losing you again."

**What do you think people? I hope you liked it because I loved writing it!**


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